Low Emission Zone

[Doorag]

If you think you have it bad in the US, read this. Also keep in mind that if this works in London, it will be coming to a city near you soon.

The Low Emission Zone (LEZ) is enforced using fixed and mobile cameras which will read your vehicle's registration number plate as you drive within the zone.

This will then be checked against a database of registered vehicles which meet the LEZ emissions standards, are exempt from the charge or are registered for a 100 per cent discount.

If your vehicle doesn't meet the LEZ emission standards or qualify for an exemption or discount, you will have to pay the daily charge.

Here is a map of the zone.. just short of the loop around London (M25).



Here is a list of charges..

£200 per day for lorries, buses and coaches
£100 per day for heavy vans and minibuses, which do not meet the emissions standards.

I'm OK until 2010 but then I'll have to pay £100 EVERY TIME I ENTER THE ZONE..

YES THAT’S £100 EVERY DAY…. and thats for every vehicle that drives within the zone..so even if you live within the zone and have a vehicle that meets this charge you will have to pay..

Just think of all the transit size vans, buses, coaches and even minibuses.. they either have to be converted to meet the policy or pay £100 each and every day...

If you don,t pay by midnight of the day following entry to the zone it's a £500 for small vehicles like vans and mini buses and £1000 for the larger vehicles...

Once this is set up in London you can bet it will spread all over and London, if RedKens still in charge as he does not even have a driving licence, will include normal vehicles as well...

I wonder how much it will cost to convert existing vehicles?

"Tax Tax Tax, Tax Tax Tax, vehicles are easy to Tax, Tax Tax Tax.. " Gordon Moron's new song in the shower...

[Cloggy]

Does this charge apply to motorbikes?

I know they have similar charges in the centre of several large German cities, and they are planning to slowly reduce the allowed limit.

As I wrote previously they are planning to introduce a congestion charge in Holland see here http://www.fz6-forum.com/forum/europ...therlands.html (Kilometer charge in the Netherlands) but the motorbikes will be exempt from it.

[Doorag]

No. It doesn't apply to motorcycles - yet. The mayor of London is trying to force motorcycles to pay the congestion charge (£8/day) but he really can't keep up the argument since motorcycles relieve congestion and damage to the roads.

[aussiejules]

holly shight, that is one serious lot of bad news. But in another instance we are our own worse enemies killing the enviroment. Some of us however cant afford to be green , stop some of the duties and tax's and maybe we can become greener.

I don't begin to know how the government in London works but do you folks not have a system whereby the citizens have the right to petition the government to change unjust laws or taxes. At the price you are paying for gas and registration fees I am surprised you folks aren't having a tea party of your own.

[Tailgate]

Wow! 100 pounds just for entering a restricted zone? What if one takes a wrong turn or needs to go to a shop for repairs? What is somebody steals your vehicle and enters the zone? OMG! It will be curious how this all works out. I sure like the tube, though.

[Doorag]

No, there's no such provision that I know of, but I'm American so it's entirely possible. There's a mayoral election today and I think the incumbent may be voted out as a protest. Unfortunately, he doesn't have anything to do with the LEZ.

To show you just how bad it is - there was a huge study (by the government) into whether it was safe to allow motorcycles to use deditcated bus lanes in London. Basically, the stats came back that motorcycle fatalities were reduced by 42 or 43% on routes where bikes could use the bus lanes. The mayor supressed the report, then tried to change the method by which the data was analysed (didn't change the result, by the way) and then simply stated that the experiment was flawed and ignored it. Outrageous.

[Doorag]

Originally Posted by Tailgate

What if one takes a wrong turn or needs to go to a shop for repairs?

You pay

Originally Posted by Tailgate

What is somebody steals your vehicle and enters the zone?

You pay

So this isn't a tax but rather a fee if I am reading this right. If so, anyone associated with it should be out on the street looking for a new job. To me this has nothing to do with the air quality and more to do with big brother trying to get more money for the general fund......

[Doorag]

Yeah, there are two issues. There's the LEZ which is allegedly about keeping emissions down so it only applies to vehicles that emit over a certain threshold. i.e. Lories (semi trucks), busses, large box trucks, delivery vans, etc... 'Normal' cars and motorcycles are exempt (for the moment).

The congestion charge has to do with keeping traffic (and pollution) managable in the city. The current congestion charge is £8 per day for low-emissions vehicles and £25 per day for high-emissions vehicles. You get a 95% discount if you live inside the congestion charge zone, but you still have to pay. Nights and weekends are free.

Everyone pretty much views both as 'stealth taxes'. Several foreign embassies refuse to pay (including the US) because embassy staff are exempt from paying any foreign taxes. There's a huge row over it and the mayor keeps towing vehicles for non-payment. I think the US alone owes a few million ££ in congestion charges they aren't paying.